


Take Me Out With the Crowds

by Glowstickia



Series: Echoes of You [3]
Category: Fallout (Video Games), Fallout 4
Genre: Baseball, Gen, Psychic Abilities
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-04-25
Updated: 2020-04-25
Packaged: 2021-03-02 03:08:23
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,385
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/23844244
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Glowstickia/pseuds/Glowstickia
Summary: Another cold night with trouble falling asleep, Echo decides to take a walk around Diamond City, and gets a glimpse of what the city once was... Fenway Park.
Relationships: Nick Valentine & Original Female Character(s)
Series: Echoes of You [3]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1718185
Comments: 8
Kudos: 16





	Take Me Out With the Crowds

Echo pulled her coat tighter around her shoulders as she quietly climbed the grandstand stairs. It creaked with rust and strain as she took ginger steps and held her breath as Diamond City guards continued their patrols. Dogmeat gave a polite and well-meaning boof of support as they continued their trek in the dark. Was it even legal to be up here? She didn't know, nor at this time of night did she care as she walked past a man in white and red stripes yelling about 'hot dogs' and carrying a box with a black strap going behind his neck.

Echo readjusted her sunglasses, checking for the umpteenth time they were there as she and Dogmeat continued the climb. It was night, yet, with each passing minute the world shifted to day, with people crowding and swarming the seats, then back again to the serene silence of night. The more she climbed, the stronger and longer her vision stayed in the daylight. She should attempt to get a good night's sleep-and yet, the organ music, the laughter and cheering, the bright sunny smiles and deafening chatter tugged at her. Like she was meant to be with them. Like she belonged to the crowd.

She rubbed her arms and once again tugged her layers tighter against the chill of the night air. She should've brought a blanket with, maybe another layer, but she was a far distance from the warmth of the Dugout Inn. Besides, she was close. She looked past the rows of people until she spotted someone that pinged familiarity. She danced around the vendor as the crowd cheered again as another ball went soaring center field and managed to squeeze her way down the aisle to the open spot five seats in.

As she plopped down in the chair, Dogmeat plowed his way through people, all of whom paid no mind to him, as he plopped down at Echo's feet and rested his chin on her lap. Before she could get a word in, the guy she sat next to grinned at her. "'Bout fuckin' time you came back, Henry." he elbowed her, "Missed abouta quarta of da game." He snorted, as he adjusted his blue baseball cap. A fancy red script B sat as a logo on the front of the cap. Why was that familiar?

"Couldn't help it." She replied, slouching in her seat, "Ya know how everyone's gotta pee at the same damn time. Not my fault I had to abide ta mother nature's call." She turned back to the game and watched as players in white uniforms, similar to the one Moe Cronin wore, albeit with less holes and more grass stains, watched the guy at home plate with baited breath.

"Ey, I know ya light weight." He teased and pushed her shoulder, "I warned ya ta not drink so damn much, and-"

"I know I know," she waved him off as she continued with the script rolling through her head, "but popcorn always makes me thirsty."

They droned on about the game and argued about the best player on the team. She lost, despite the words coming out of her own mouth sounded fairly convincing, but they did not deter Paul, her coworker and colleague at some laboratory an half hour's drive to Fenway Park. She kept seated as the crowd cheers roared the stadium. It was night in Diamond City, she reminded herself with Dogmeat's fur grounding her in reality.

She should head back to Dugout Inn, but the echo held on and sank its teeth into her. She couldn't leave. The game was still going.

Paul would be disappointed in her for breaking the script even more-so, besides, she was rather enjoying herself here, up above Diamond City, watching a game that lost most meaning to the wastelanders thriving within it's great green walls.

The organ build as the next batter took the plate. Dom "The Little Professor" DiMaggio. "Not near as good as his older brother-," Paul said, talking over the announcer's voice, "but he's a no good Yankee."

Echo rolled her eyes. "Give him a chance." she gestured to the field below and grinned as Dom smacked the ball hard. It went soaring. "Atta boy."

“I see you’re enjoying yourself.”

Echo blinked as day turned night, startled by the familiar voice beside her. Dogmeat’s tail thumped against the concrete as Echo turned to Nick. He stared at her with his glowing golden eyes. His cigarette was lit, embers burning as he leaned back in the chair where Paul had been sitting in the echo. Echo scratched between Dogmeat’s eyes, forcing her hands down and focusing on the now, the reality _she_ lived in, not the one ‘Henry’ had pulled her into. “You could say that...” she cleared her throat, feeling the cold air chill her bones. Her nose was starting to feel a bit numb. How long was she up here? “Er,” she was afraid to ask, as she turned her attention back to Nick, “how uh, long have you been sitting there?”

He shrugged as he inhaled (somehow) and blew smoke from his lips. Smoke curled out of his open cheeks too... hm- “Noticed someone was sitting in the stands. Figured I’d check it out before letting DC security haul anyone off to jail.”

“...ah,” she popped her lips, “well, I’d rather not spend the rest of the night in there, thanks.”

A smile tugged at Nick’s lips as he leaned forward in his chair. “Something on your mind?”

Echo’s lips thinned as dozens of answers edged their way in. How should she go about this... She shrugged as she rubbed Dogmeat’s face, warming her hands in the process. “Needed some quiet,” she answered truthfully. The Dugout Inn was warm and jolly and _very loud._ How Vadim could keep up his booming voice well into the night and _not_ lose it next day was beyond her. Not to mention all the drinking... or the rowdiness that followed said drinking. It was fine. Temporary for, well, a week. Somewhere she could go to while she sorted out where the hell she’d go next.

Nick nodded. “Hard to think with a crowd around.”

Her eyes shifted to him. “Understatement.” She snorted. Funny how she traded the crowd of one for another...even if said crowd was ten times as loud and long since dead... She blew a raspberry at the air and Dogmeat placed his front paws on her lap. “Oh, I’m fine buddy.” She rubbed down Dogmeat’s neck and pushed her nose against his cold, wet one.

"We should get you out of this cold." Nick said, getting to his feet, "Don't need you catching a cold or anything."

Echo looked over at him just as Dogmeat licked her cheek. "Ah," she sputtered a laugh, "you dork!" She readjusted her sunglasses and lifted Dogmeat's front paws off her lap. Dogmeat boofed and his tail thumped against the seat behind him as she stood up. She rolled her eyes and playfully scratched his head while rubbing the cold dog drool off her cheek with her sleeve. "Sounds like a plan."

Nick shook his head as he snuffed out his cigarette. A bemused smile graced his lips. "Glad we agree."

They took to the stadium stairs, with Dogmeat leading as Echo took her time, taking each step with care. Nick hung back, watching as a question ticked away on his mind. She was about half way down when she turned back. "You coming Detective?" she asked, eyebrow raised.

Nick hummed a moment, as if contemplating her question. Before she could ask again, he descended the steps and paused a couple up from her. “You know,” he said after a beat, “I’m surprised you can see where you’re going.”

Her brow furrowed in confusion until it dawned on her. Right. The _sunglasses._ Crap. “Ah, well,” she shrugged her shoulders, “why do you think I call myself Echo?” she clicked her tongue for emphasis before taking a couple more steps down.

Nick studied her for a brief second before continuing down the steps. “Didn’t take your name to be so literal.” He mused.

“Heh,” Echo focused ahead, willing herself to ignore the distant cheers and the call of vendors serving their snack of choice, “it’s a nickname.”

**Author's Note:**

> Title inspired by the song "Take Me Out To The Ball Game". Yeah, its the second lyric haha.

**Works inspired by this one:**

  * [Reflection on Echo Gray's Echoes](https://archiveofourown.org/works/27376549) by [allislaughter](https://archiveofourown.org/users/allislaughter/pseuds/allislaughter)




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